Leap of Faith
by Dragonmorph
Summary: During the second Great Depression in America, Ib has to fend for herself in a changing world. Her experiences makes her question a rabbit or fox as guardian spirits, animals who grant powers, but provide a life-changing choice: stay with Garry in a judgemental village or live alone. One-shot. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Copy-pasting story from tumblr. This story is an AU and slight crossover of ideas from both game and book. As Guardian Spirits are part of a culture, these are based off them, but they act as natural beings who grant powers to those they choose. For those familiar with the Aspect of Crow series, Rabbit is just made from headcanons and Wolf is not mine. **

**i wrote this because I love the series, but also to test a fantasy AU idea with Ib characters. From my ideas, it can work pretty decently. I may or may not continue depending on interest or else I can just work on my other stories.**

**R&R?**

(Disclaimer: I do not own Ib by Kouri or _Aspect of Crow_ by Jeri Smith-Ready)

Leap of Faith

Ib was keenly alert to the sounds of footsteps approaching the box house. Her nose hardly matched up to her new sense of hearing, but it was obvious her parents were a little hopeful by the way their stance wasn't slouched over like the others without a single light in their eyes.

A large portion of stale bread was gently placed into her petite hands and she devoured the crisp edges with ravishing hunger.

The family hadn't eaten in a few days and they dreaded the sound of growling stomachs reaching their ears. It was, in their range, to hear their own family struggle with the famine. Ib had to keep her appetite down when moaning passed the box each day where her father rubbed his hands together until they were red and her mother sighed without any faith in a better life.

She saw her parents run and go away and she truly feared losing them again. After all, she lived through her own nightmare when she and a local gallery-lurker were trapped into an astonishing world filled with the oddest themes as well as the girl who only wanted a friend.

She couldn't bear to recall the flickering flames and each time she did, she nearly burst into tears. It was unlike her, but suddenly - a green snake would soothe with her voice enough to only send sniffling sounds instead of shed tears down her cheeks.

Her ears managed to perk though something furry pricked its ears as well. She heard murmuring from her parents, but she was already asleep. It was the rabbit which comforted her tonight instead of a fox and she reached out to caress the fuzzy thing.

She often didn't add her opinion, but her crimson red eyes laid upon the most flawless and beautiful rabbit she has ever seen. It was a coarse brown, but its eyes were dark yet motherly.

_"You're not afraid, aren't you?"_ The feminine voice came from the rabbit itself.

Everything turned into a blur and she woke up to see her parents towering over her expectantly. It took a moment before her eyes unclogged the fogginess and blinked for a moment.

"Isabella, your father and I were discussing and…" Her mother bit her lip, sad. "We were thinking of finding work around here. Will you be okay?"

_You'll be fine._

Ib unconsciously nodded, and more or less, surprised by the sudden use of her real name. Rarely anyone called her Bella, Isa, let alone Isabella.

"I love you, sweetheart. We'll be back ASAP." The father spoke assuringly and kissed his daughter's forehead. His wife did the same.

The little girl crawled to the mouth of her box home and saw her parents leave. The thumping kept her more focused on the disappearing figures, but she could still spot them - even with strange eyesight- where her mother wore the special blouse most women would envy in a heartbeat.

…

A storm raged a month earlier and she knew her home was gone. Her whole life flashed before her eyes and she sighed, knowing it was too late to go back. The Depression did its worse and left the lands back into its drought. The land was practically barren and she could only make out so much of the landscape ahead besides the apparent green tips.

She kept moving and only saw the dust blowing. She only stopped when her stamina dropped enough she would feel dizzy. Everything became a blur until she heard concerned murmurings before she lost control of consciousness.

The Undefined girl woke to a pleasant, yet startling surprise: The man she knew before the Depression grinned upon her with sharper features in his blue eyes. While his purple hair was normal, his arms were slightly more buff and his body more slim and slightly more muscular. She eyed the bow in his hands and if he understood her body language, he dropped the bow to prove he meant no harm.

"Hello, Ib." He said to his young friend.

"Mmm…" Ib managed to get up on her behind and sat, still groggy from her recent pass out. "How long was I asleep?"

Garry rubbed his chin and she noticed a small bit of dark hair sprouting. "At least a few days." He reached out for a straw bag which peaked the interest of the girl. He opened it and revealed bread.

'Holy Guertena! Is that…?!' Ib's mouth unintentionally watered and her stomach began to claw at the possibility of eating again. She reached for the bread and nibbled softly like a rabbit, almost as if this was gonig to be her only meal.

The man furrowed his brow, trying to define who picked her, but couldn't grasp it. Instead, he decided he should explain to her, just in case she had the dreams. "Hey Ib, have you ever had any dreams lately?"

The girl managed to stop eating for a brief moment. "Y-yes." She managed to say. "I always see these soundless bunnies…"

'Thank goodness, she's a Rabbit.' Garry thought with relief.

"…or these foxes." She finished, pondering in thought. "How about you?"

He hesitated at the end part. "I saw wolves." He shook the fear out of his mind. "Look… The dreams mean something. We're claimed by…Guardian Spirits…"

She stared blankly. "Guardian Spirits?"

"Yeah, They provide you with powers, a community as long as you respect Them."

She shrugged the idea off and continued to eat. She heard Garry's sigh, but it was hard for her to grasp the idea of having powers from either a rabbit - her favorite animal - or a fox whom she isn't too fond of.

Garry leaned in closer. "You're either a Rabbit, or a Fox. Rabbits are known to be able to attract fear and their hearing is heightened. Of course, you're first-phase and not entirely claimed yet so it's not a lot to go by. Anyway, it's just heightened senses for now." He drew a breath. "I'm a Wolf where we are known to be stealthy, good archers, and we can turn invisible in later phases. We're loyal to our home."

"Phases?" Ib understood part of it, but she was curious to know the newer material.

"There are three phases. One is where everyone is at once they're around five-ish or so. The second phase strengthens your powers, but you'll have to be a parent. The third phase gives you even greater power, but you must become a grandparent."

"Seems hard." She pouted and inched closer to her friend. "So, should we become second phase together?" She was confused when Garry's face turned as red as her irises and he hesitated.

"Well… Being a parent means responsibility and uhh…" He attempted to change the topic. "Just wait until your older. We should go visit your new home."

"A new home?" Ib remembered her old mansion-like home and how it morphed into a box and now into a nomadic landscape. Would she have another lowly house where empty promises were kept? Garry was her only friend now, but she was afraid, if she decided to leave, he would only remain loyal to the village. "So are you loyal to the house?"

Garry merely chuckled and it lightened the sullen mood as he smiled. "Oh, Ib. You _are_ my home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Aa, I think I'm fond of this story, but who knows if this will appeal to more people. Thank you for noticing it, musicstarnc :'D Hopefully I can explain it as we go along. Now that I think about it, I have this delicious idea to make this a love/drama story. I may make this Garry/Ib, but with a struggling environment which makes it hard while Ib finds herself. At the same time, she and Garry have to find each other. Let me know if I should or not!  
**

**As these people in the village are new to their powers, it will be an awkward stage for them. Some may know theirs, others may not. Unfortunately, there may be a few OCs, but I'll try to develop them to be as human as possible - though it'll be Garry & Ib centered.**

**(Anyone aware of the new Ib update? Oh my God is all I have to say about the whole new content. I may introduce some hints due to it, but I'll try to be vague for those still playing!)**

**R&R**

Leap of Faith

Ib knew only survival.

The way the dark depths of the gallery returned to haunt her, she lacked in the most childlike way: calling out for a loving adult. She spaced out blankly as the inspection of a new room lead to new sights.

As stealthy as a fox could be, she could easily catch on to the soft pads underneath its paws trailing and heeling beside the child. The fox had one dark eye upon its possible protege and the other exploring the world she never seen before.

The fox acted like a lucky charm and Ib easily left the gallery. However, she did not know what had happened to the sleeping wolf now the memories flooded back into her.

Ib was close to remembering, but the fox's eyes flashed.

"He'll return, but he wants you to go through the walls first," The fox said smoothly. "You wish to see the sun, don't you?"

Ib longed to feel the light upon her skin and see her parents.

"You only have one choice," The fox warned. "The sun or your parent's will to live."

...

Ib stirred in the cot. While the mattress substitute was much better than the ground of a box, it left her without a decent sleep. Noises were sharper than usual and the sounds made her a light sleeper including the anxiety of danger.

Although her parents were gone, she did not have to feel vulnerable. She had an (vague) understanding over these Spirits and most of all, Garry was going to protect her. Why was the possible life of happiness still flawed?

The child moved out of bed and groaned. Everything was dizzy and she had to grip anything she could to stay still. Her legs felt sore from walking, but she did not sight any easy transportation besides the fuzzy horses which frightened her.

Her hearing caught on to distance footsteps until the door of her room was knocked on. A fellow Wolf - whom she had forgotten the name of - shyly moved into the bedroom when his senses caught on to safety.

"I hope the cot wasn't hard on your back. It took me some time as well to get used to it." The Wolf man smiled; hearing much from his Spirit brother about the young Rabbit girl.

Ib shook her head. It was more or less the mental instability which affected her more than what offered itself to be paradise.

"It was okay." Ib replied with a shrug.

The young man nodded and moved out of the room. The place was hers once again, but everything was still mildly mind-boggling.

The village consisted of various people without some sort of way to tell what Animal they were. Some argued over the idea while others memorized faces.

Garry's was the easiest for her to remember as well as the admirable in her eyes. Her friend embodied ferocious Wolf while she had Rabbit with Her confident nature. It was an awkward combo, but there was nothing they could do.

The brunette moved outside in her old clothing and rather avoided the pants and tunic neatly folded by her bed. The village was small and loosely based off a peasant's world, but the amount of people being recruited added to the abundance of sounds.

She ran and hugged the familiar man as she caught on to the tips of violet streaks as it bathed in the sunlight. A large "oof!" escaped the man as he stroked her messy brown hair.

"Morning, Ib," Garry greeted warmly. "did you have a good night's sleep?"

"Mhm." Ib replied, burying her face within his warm body and coat.

He smiled at the adorable quirks his young friend had. It appeared neither of them had changed in spite of the tuning in senses. He wondered what powers Rabbits received -

"Hello, Garry!"

The older man looked up after doting over Ib to recognize the councilman of the teeming village. Samuel, a Hawk, approached cautiously.

"This must be the one you were talking about." The Hawk said. He smiled at young girl who hid her face deeper into Garry's stomach.

"Ah, yes. Ib, this is Sam. Sam, meet Ib." Garry introduced the two of them. "She might provide some use after her ceremony a few years from now."

"I see," Samuel nodded. "The girl appears to still need some insight on the traditions here. Don't worry, we've been around for awhile."

"Awhile? The Great Depression had only been around for a month." The Wolf blinked. Clearly, an organized village such as this couldn't have been around for just a month consisting of refugees.

"Ha! This village existed as part of the suburbs once, but paranoia spreads quickly upon the youngsters. Around the same time, the dreams set in as you two probably know."

Ib and Garry nodded.

"This place is as flawed as a sick dog. The cures will be difficult to find." Samuel chortled before he went sober. "We have some new refugees arriving. I heard they're some of the warrior-types as Hawk told me."

Samuel left a moment later, but it did not end the tenseness Garry was feeling. Ib felt the tight grip, but she did not bother to nudge a warning. The pain hurt, but it took away the feeling of loss.

She sensed danger was approaching as often Garry had his little quirks when the signs were concrete. The child brushed against his side and hoped for the best - and her arm back.

One man approached with an apparent snarl on his face. The way his green eyes went cold when it locked with Ib's unusual coloration.

"You must be the new guy." Garry spoke wearily. The hairs on his back stood up.

The other man nodded briskly, but said nothing. He kept an intent glare upon Ib.

Ib averted her own gaze of discomfort and Garry continued to bristle. "I may not make up the rules here, but isn't it rude to stare?"

"My bad," The other replied, flashing a sarcastic grin. "I can't help your village brought in some kind of freak."

Ib's ruby orbs grew larger. Some form of fear prodded at her. It wasn't uncommon for those to tease her for her eyes. The way the man appeared though made her knees feel like liquid.

"We're all outcasts here." Garry stated, narrowing his brow. "If one person is a freak, the rest of us share that burden."

"I can remove that burden." The stranger replied venomously. He unsheathed a dagger which gleamed by the sunlight and the man lunged with ferocity.

Ib cowered, but something inhuman chided her behavior. It was a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it wasn't enough until it was clear only the air was touching her.

A gasp escaped the child as the Wolf wrestled with the warrior man. It went on for another twenty minutes before the other villagers broke up the fight. Her friend laid on the ground breathing as a healer tended to his wounds.

"Garry?" Ib whispered and cautiously approached the wounded man.

Garry gave a shaky smile. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, still recovering from the sight.

"He'll live, but he needs rest." The healer announced and a few strong men aided Garry to his cot.

The elder Hawk returned, shaking his head. He seemed to be familiar with the aggressive recruits. "It's not safe for a little one, like you, to see that."

Ib said nothing.

"Wolverines are the hardest to control and help them channel their new anger." He went in. "Wasps are less violent, but they are still hostile. Just be careful."

"Okay." Ib replied softly. All she wanted to do was check on Garry. The fight kept her trembling and on her feet more than ever. Who knew paradise was flawed? At least he is alright and definitely not a Wolverine or Wasp. She wondered what Mary would be, but the guilty thought was shoved away. Maybe she could dwell on it later.

Ib wasn't planning on becoming the prey. Rather, she'll defend her pack member against the predator.


End file.
